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China will build trains to travel at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour in preparation for gearing up track speeds for the sixth time.

Tenders were invited from Chinese manufacturers teamed with foreign partners to import much-needed technology for 140 trains. Three Chinese-foreign consortiums won the bidding.

The foreign partners would provide fast-train technology while the trains would be eventually built in China.

China implemented the fifth train speedup this year, raising the maximum speed to 160kph. Existing tracks can support trains traveling at 200 kph. But the country needs more reliable, fast trains before the speedup can be implemented.

The order for 140 trains would be a small part of a new fleet for the railway system in the future, officials said. China needs to import the technology for the production of the high speed trains although authorities insist that all new trains should be made in China.

The authorities did not disclose the timetable for the sixth speedup.

China launched 19 pairs of non-stop new express trains, marked with Z on the timetable, in the April speedup, the fifth time the country has increased train speeds since 1997.

Running at a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour, Z-line trains cut the travel time between Beijing and Shanghai from 14 hours to about 12 hours.

In addition to shorter travel times, Z-line passengers also have better services and facilities such as bars and tea rooms.